Odisha: 2 Dalit men beaten up, tonsured, forced to consume grass, drain water over cattle transport
Berhampur (PTI): Two Dalit men in Odisha’s Ganjam district were tonsured, assaulted and forced to crawl on their knees and consume grass and drain water on suspicion of cattle smuggling, police said.
The incident, which occurred recently at Jahada in Kharigumma village under Dharakote police station limits, has triggered widespread outrage in political circles after purported videos of the assault went viral on social media.
PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.
The victims — Babula Nayak (54) and Bulu Nayak (42) of Singipur — were transporting two cows and a calf in a vehicle from Hariour to their village when they were caught by a group of self-proclaimed 'cow protectors' at Kharigumma, accusing the two of smuggling cattle, police said.
"The mob allegedly demanded Rs 30,000 from the duo. When the victims refused, they were assaulted and subjected to degrading treatment," a police officer said.
"They were taken to a salon and their heads were tonsured partly. They were then forced to crawl on their knees for over a kilometre, fed grass and made to drink drain water," the officer added.
After managing to flee from the clutches of the mob, the victims lodged an FIR against the accused at Dharakote police station on Sunday evening.
According to the victims, the cattle were meant as a traditional gift for the wedding of Babula’s daughter.
The police on Monday detained six people for allegedly assaulting and partially tonsuring the heads of the two Dalit men.
Ganjam SP Suvendu Kumar Patra said a case was registered, and police detained at least six persons in this case.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the attackers' motive was not animal protection but extortion, police said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
